Slow and steady life.

How fast do you want to go?

Recently, i am practicing a new skill or habit. It's more like a lifestyle that require slow pace and mindful living. Although the word 'slow pace', it actually increased the efficiency of my performances. After learning and adopting this new skill, i am able to focus and pay full concentration on the things i do.

We are now living in a fast world and a generation of – fast food
, fast cars, fast conversations, fast families, fast holidays and so on. We may be living great lives but we aren’t there for them. We don’t take the time to linger over food, over friends, over our family etc. We are not savouring our life and are starving of the real connection to it. I think we should all learn to slow down and connect with our life.

People who take their time with things are probably in the minority in most of the world today. We live in a time when speed and productivity are valued above almost anything else. Therefore, people who flow at a slower pace are out of sync with the world and are often pestered and prodded to go faster and do more. This can be not only frustrating but also counterproductive because the stress of being pushed to move faster than one is able to move actually slows progress.

I am not here to deny today's modern life style. Technologies and inventions have help a great deal for us and with all the transportation that is available, it has never been as convenient as before. But should we balance within what we already have and proceed towards the real affluent and meaningful life.

To be simplistic, the solution is to pay attention, on purpose, in a systematic way, in the present moment. That is, we need to be mindful. This is the answer. Mindful living is a way of life that urges people to find calm by connecting with the present moment.

Below are a few tips or examples i abstracted from a book for "mindful living":

1. Set priorities. Make a conscious decision about what you consider important, and let your schedule (and your attitude) reflect your intentions. For example, if relationships and health are high on your list, turn off the TV to free up time for taking walks with friends.

2. Do one thing at a time. When you multitask, it becomes impossible to concentrate, feel deeply, or think clearly. "Doing two or more things at the same time splits our consciousness in two or more ways.

3. Wake up right. "Set your alarm clock early, but don't get up when it rings," suggests Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., author of The Last Self-Help Book You'll Ever Need: Repress Your Anger, Think Negatively, Be a Good Blamer, & Throttle Your Inner Child. "Lie there a few minutes and practice the savoring response: Think about who and what is worth getting up for and the privilege of being awake in such a rushed yet wonderful world."

4. Take off your watch. "People hurry up when they see a clock, which is why stores don't have clocks--they want us to linger," says Honore, who experiences less anxiety since he unstrapped his own watch. Because there are clocks everywhere--in cars and on cellphones and computers--he's still punctual, but no longer feels like a slave to time. Test this yourself by going "watch-free" on evenings and weekends.

5. Listen to relaxing music.
"Your body synchronizes to the rhythms around you," says psychologist Sharon Heller, Ph.D., author of Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight. Look for music that's paced to a relaxed heartbeat, about 60 beats per minute.

6. Resist road rage
"See every traffic jam as a meditation assignment," Pearsall advises. There are few better opportunities to practice positive thinking and forgiveness or perform your deep-breathing exercises.

7. Find your center. Techniques such as meditation and yoga allow you to access patience. "Practices that bring you into stillness and quiet turn off the stress response," says Peg Bairn, N.P., director of training at the Mind-Body Medical Institute, and an associate in medicine at Harvard Medical School. "They help you recharge your batteries and come back into alignment with who you really are."

take it slow

IF ENOUGH OF US endeavor to become more tortoise-minded and less hare-brained, we might find that slow and steady does win the race. "People are resisting the pressure to do it all in a hurry, and they're enjoying richer, fuller lives," says Honore. What's more, the slow-it-down movement is not about unplugging the Internet or giving up jet travel. "The aim is to do everything at the right speed," notes Honore. "Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes in between."



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